Plants
Terrariums Part 1: Introduction
Part 1 of a 3 part series
A miniature world under glass, terrariums are fascinating and remarkably easy to create and maintain! Over the next 3 posts, I will be discussing everything you need to know about designing, planting, and maintaining terrariums.
I first got into terrariums a few years ago when my colleague James starting collecting glass bell jars and specimen begonias. I must confess his enthusiasm was contagious! I now have two and have given one to my sister. Plants have been grown under glass since Victorian times. In those days they were commonly referred to as Wardian cases, named after Dr. Nathaniel Ward who first introduced society to these mini ecosystems.
It is so easy to grow terrarium plants in enclosed environments, because they need not be constantly watered or groomed. In their native habitat, plants requiring extra humidity were growing on the floor of the rainforest, in tree crevices or on rocks with a thick canopy of growth overhead. The most important things to remember about their care are to keep the containers out of direct sunlight, and to try and keep them on the cool side. Many unsuccessful growers have forgotten that the plants love humidity, but they do not like wet feet.
There are a few things to consider before planting your terrarium:
- Make sure the plants you select are the appropriate scale for the container and the other plants, otherwise it will dominate the design
- Select plants that are completely different from each other in terms of color, leaf shape and growing habit. The key is for each plant to have its own unique personality, instead of them all blending together.
- Don’t be discouraged if a plant doesn’t make it. Terrariums are a learning experience and may take a little time to gauge how much or little water is needed. Proper plant choices will minimize this issue.
Check back in a few days for part 2 of this series: Creating Open Terrariums and more great planting inspiration.
For a quick how-to: Click Here
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PDFFall Is For Planting Trees, Shrubs, Perennials and Lawn Seed
While it may seem that the gardening season should be over, fall is actually a perfect time to plant. Yes, things above ground may look bleak, but below ground root growth is still in full swing.
- Planting success is all about the roots.
- You can plant later than you may think.
When you plant in the fall the soil is still warm from summer. Warm soil temps encourage new roots to grow. Fall is also the time when plants naturally shift their energy from top growth to root growth. This helps plants establish faster. Rainfall is more plentiful and predictable in the fall. New plantings require moisture for optimal growth. In addition, annual weeds that compete for nutrients and moisture are finishing their life cycle, which reduces this competition. And fall’s ample rainfall encourages roots to grow more deeply. Deeper roots are better able to find water now and next spring.
Another counter-intuitive benefit to planting in the fall is the cooler air temperatures above ground. Cooler temps mean less stress and fewer pest and disease problems.
Last but not least, roots continue to grow until the ground freezes. The results are that plants that are put in the ground in the fall will have stronger roots to start off next spring. Then when summer comes, they will be better equipped to deal with heat and drought.
Some things need to be planted in the early fall
There are many plants that will thrive when planted about four weeks before the first hard frost. These plants – grass seed, turf and cool season vegetables – need to establish a root system before the ground starts to cool in late fall.
Seeds or seedlings of lettuce, radishes, broccoli and spinach can be planted in early fall. To extend the harvest later into the fall, a row cover of black plastic can be added for further protection once heavy frost arrives.
Early fall is the best time for rejuvenating your lawn or for planting a new lawn. Grass seed germinates at cooler temperatures than summer can provide. Weeds are not germinating now making it the perfect time for lawn work. Ideally, new grass seed should be planted about a month before the first hard frost predicted for your area.
Groundcovers such as Vinca or pachysandra will develop strong root systems when planted in the fall. When spring arrives your fall planted beds will be thick and full of healthy plants.
Some things can be planted even into late fall
Any perennial, shrub or tree that has been grown in a container or ball and burlapped can be planted late into the fall – right up until the time that the ground freezes. Later plantings will benefit from a protective mulch once the ground is frozen. This insulates the soil and keeps it from freezing and thawing.
Tulips, Daffodils and other spring flowering bulbs are best planted from mid-October through ground freeze. Planting too early can cause the bulbs to send up top growth at the wrong time. Planting bulbs in the fall ensures a good root system and a beautiful garden when spring arrives.
Final benefit
Savvy shoppers know that plant prices come down as the year comes to an end. Perennials are an especially great bargain because most people see a perennial that has passed and assume it’s dead. Fact is planting perennials in the fall means you’ll get a great price, and the plant will have the fall months to grow a strong root system. Next spring you’ll be rewarded with a fantastic, established plant and some extra money in your pocket to boot.
Caring for Fall Bulbs
Spring Care
When your bulbs have finished flowering, cut back the flower stalks to ground level. Then, and this is important, let the foliage of your flowering bulbs dieback naturally – do not cut it back while still green. The bulb needs this time to make food reserves for next year’s flowers.
Get more color by overplanting with annuals
Want your garden color to continue after the bulbs are finished? You can plant annuals directly over or around bulbs for your summer color. Just remember to leave the Fall bulbs in the ground – do not dig up and store as you would summer flowering varieties such as dahlias.
Critter alert
Squirrels, chipmunks, skunks and raccoons can dig and eat bulbs. If that isn’t bad enough, deer are known to eat the blooms in spring. To avoid heartbreak, apply animal repellant. Some people recommend adding several different types to discourage a variety of animals. You can dip the bulb directly in the repellant; apply in the hole or top-dress. Happy news – all these animals don’t like Daffodils.
Fertilizing Bulbs
Because bulbs are natural warehouses of food to use for blooming, fertilizer is unnecessary for the first year’s blooms. That said, you will need to add a quality fertilizer after the first blooms are done to help the bulb rebuild itself for the following year’s bloom. We recommend Bulb-tone, (from Espoma, the people that make Holly-tone) it’s an all-natural plant food with Bio-tone® microbes formulated to help repeat blooming bulbs.
- You can add the fertilizer now when you are planting the bulbs – the bulb will not take in the food until needed late next spring
- Or you can wait until after they bloom and top dress with fertilizer.
Selecting and Using Fall Bulbs
Create a color plan
Choosing color schemes for your garden is similar to choosing color for your house or your clothing. Avoid the temptation to pick favorite bulbs individually and try to design the entire effect. A professional garden designer’s simple rule is to limit the number of colors in a display area to three, one of which should take up 70% and the others 15% each. If you want contrast, combine cool and warm colors; for harmony combine colors of the same temperature that are close to each other in tone and intensity. Good news: Bulbs are pretty easy to dig up and relocate – so if you don’t love this year’s color combination – move them.
Combine bloom heights
Most people get excited by color, but mixing and matching bloom height is also creative and fun.
- The smallest are Hyacinths and Crocuses. These are best used at bed edges and around the periphery of Winter-Spring container gardens.
- Medium height bulbs include Tulips, Daffodils, Anemones and Irises that grow to 1-1.5 feet tall. Use them for filling flowerbeds or naturalizing meadows.
- Alliums are the tallest fall bulbs. They produce 2-3 foot tall flower stalks topped with large balls of flowers. Designer tip: Plant Alliums and other tall bulbs toward the back if your flowerbeds will be viewed from the side. If your bed will be viewed from both sides, place them toward in the middle.
A nice effect is to plant small bulbs in front of tall, but this of course only works for bulbs that bloom at the same time.
The bouquet effect
For a more attractive natural look plant bulbs in groups or clusters. Many people space bulbs out to cover the most area, but the effect is thin, sort of like a bad hair transplant. For a natural effect: dig a large area and plant several bulbs at once or simply toss the bulbs into the air and dig holes and plant where ever they fall. You’ll be surprised how well this works.
Fall Bulb Planting Tips
When to plant Fall Bulbs
Wait ‘till it’s good and cold
Bulbs should be planted after the ground cools down. In New England, this is anytime after the first frosts, but before the ground freezes hard. You probably want to buy them early so you have the best selection, but around here, wait until October to put them in the ground. Until then, keep them in a cool, dry place. Also keep the label with the bulbs until planting. Without the label, you can’t tell the red tulips from the white ones.
Where to plant
You can plant bulbs just about anywhere in your garden. However, there is a saying that “bulbs don’t like wet feet” so avoid the bottom of a hill or other areas where water collects. Bulbs need light to bloom. Ideally you should try to plant in Eastern, Southern, or Western exposures where they’ll get six hours of light per day. (“light” does not have to be direct sunlight – filtered light is fine).
How deep?
It’s best to follow the instructions on the package, but the rule of thumb is plant big bulbs about 8” deep and small bulbs about 5” deep. Also consider the proximity to the house or other buildings, and plant the bulbs at least 5 feet from foundations, as heat from the buildings can damage bulbs. When “dropping” the bulb, try to have the pointy side face up – in most cases, however, if you don’t get it right the bulb flower will still find its way topside.
Planting Supplies
Better soil grows better blooms. Dig the soil with a bulb planter, trowel or shovel. If it’s loose and workable, great! If not, you’ll want to mix in some compost. Compost adds nutrients into the soil, improves the soil structure, and provides a healthy biodiversity. Compost helps sandy soil retain water, and helps plants resist harmful bacteria and fungi. Warning: over-doing compost is not a good idea – it can “burn” the bulbs.
Fall is for planting FALL BULBS
Question: What do you do if you want tulips, daffodils, hyacinths or narcissus to bloom in your garden next spring?
The answer is pretty easy: dig some holes, drop in some fall bulbs and voila, you’ll get flowers. One small detail: you have to plant the bulbs now, in the fall (hence the name), and then wait until spring for them to bloom. That’s because “fall bulbs” need the time in the cold ground in order to bloom next spring.
Why buy them at Mahoney’s
All our bulbs are imported directly from the finest growers in Holland. We have lots of varieties to choose from: some of the newest hybrids as well as the most popular classics. And most of our bulbs are top sized. Planting fall bulbs is pretty easy.
Follow the links below to learn more about using bulbs in your garden
Petunia Budworm Problem - Updated
This is an update of a post from last summer (My Petunia Budworm Problem) because the annoying flower-eating pests called budworms are back this year with a vengeance.
Photo source and for more information: Penn State
My petunias weren’t flowering well.
Knowing that petunias don’t like the heat, my first thought was to blame the few hot days we had. Then, because petunias like regular feedings, I wondered if perhaps I didn’t feed them enough before I went on vacation.
But when I looked more closely I noticed chew marks in the tender foliage of flower. Then I saw black dots* all over the foliage. Finally, I found the insect - the infamous petunia budworm.
If you see similar damage on your petunias, look for the budworm caterpillars during dusk when their larvae are most active, or during daylight hours, check around the base of the plant where they hide. They start really small and get bigger as they get older.
The bad news is budworm caterpillars can devour all your petunia flowers in a couple days. The good news is that there are two treatments that work great.
How to treat for Petunia Budworm
Petunia Budworm Treatment Options: Captain Jack’s Deadbug Brew (left) and Eight - Yard and Garden (right) both by Bonide
If you catch it on the early side, a good remedy is a spray called Captain Jack’s Organic Deadbug Brew by Bonide. It’s a good solution for lots of bug problems, so not a bad thing to keep on hand.
If your petunias are really infested, another option is called Eight Yard and Garden, also by Bonide. Eight is water-based, but not organic. It works a little bit quicker, but in most cases Capt Jack’s is just fine. Whichever you choose you’ll need to re-apply every couple weeks or as needed.
Then try to feed your petunias with some water-soluble fertilizer. Do this and your petunias will bounce back to full bloom in about three days. Neat, huh?
Preventing Budworm from Returning
The budworm can survive winter as a pupa in the soil unless the soil freezes deeply. So if you overwinter potted plants in a protected area, such as garage, you might be helping the buggers survive. If you are going to keep potted geraniums or other perennial host plants between seasons, remove the soil to eliminate pupae and repot the plants before overwintering.
*FYI: The black dots are little budworm poops.
IMPORTANT NOTE ON BEES AND CAPTAIN JACK’S DEADBUG BREW
This product is toxic to bees exposed to treatment for 3 hours following treatment. Do not apply this pesticide to blooming, pollen-shedding or nectar-producing parts of plants if bees may forage on the plants during this time period. It is best to apply late in the afternoon when bees are not active. This product is toxic to aquatic invertebrates. To protect the environment, do not allow pesticide to enter or run off into storm drains, drainage ditches, gutters or surface waters. Applying this product in calm weather when rain is not predicted for the next 24 hours will help to ensure that wind or rain does not blow or wash pesticide off the treatment area.
Tomato Mania
The warm-crop planting season is finally here and we can safely plant our crops and yes, our tomatoes. I love this time of year because my wife and I get together with the kids and pick our favorite tomato varieties to grow, and of course some new ones we may not have tried before. One of my favorite things is slicing up a bunch of different tomatoes (different shapes, sizes, colors, etc.) and tasting with friends. The favorites are usually written down to remember to plant next year. Over the years we’ve come up with a delicious list. One question I often get is, “what’s a good tomato?” I’ve got to answer their question with a question: “good for what? Salads, sauces, salsa, sandwich slicer or maybe a good cherry or grape. I have favorites for all occasions.
These are some of my favorites. Try some new ones this year – you may be pleasantly surprised.
Super sweet 100
What a great cherry! I like to call this one the ‘’babysitter’’ because it produces so many small red sweet cherries it will keep the kids busy for hours when you say, “go pick them”. This plant is very vigorous – don’t be confused by the size of the fruit, this is a huge plant and it will take up a lot of space. It’s not great in small pots, as it will outgrow them quickly, but that’s doesn’t make me love it any less. I strongly recommend it, even if you don’t have kids to entertain.
Sun gold
This one is probably the sweetest cherry I’ve come across. If you haven’t tried this one, it’s worth it. A little bit on the orange side so it adds a different color to salads. It’s on the low acidic end, too.
Brandywine
Now this is what summer is about! This old Amish heirloom comes in pink, red and yellow – and they’re all great. Who knows which is the original, but it doesn’t matter when you taste these. It’s not a heavy producer, so I make sure to grow more than enough. But man what a taste!! Slice those babies up with some buffalo mozzarella and a little pepper, creamy Italian dressing, maybe some fresh basil (I don’t like balsamic…too much heart burn). Yumm!!! If you’ve grown this one and want to try something new try Burpee’s ‘Brandy Boy’. It’s a cross between Brandywine and Big Boy. I got a nice yield with that great taste, plus it produces much earlier in the season.
Big Beef
This hybrid produces nice large, round, blemish-free tomatoes. But don’t confuse this with commercial varieties that are bred to look ripe before their time. This Big Boy is very disease-resistant. So if you have had problems with disease or cracking try this one, it won’t disappoint you.
San Marzano
This is the plum tomato that all others are judged by. It’s larger than roma, and tastes better according to my Italian relatives and friends. This variety is open pollinated like roma so you can grow it with other tomatoes without cross pollination (which can result in different tomatoes than what you intended).
Juliet
A large grape or small plum, this is a nice sweet variety that I love in salads, although you may want to slice them in half for the kids because they are slightly larger than your typical grape tomato. Nonetheless they are a nice sweet tomato with a long shelf life.
Prudence purple
This is another great heirloom I love to grow. These big purplish or dark red tomatoes are another great tasting tomato like Brandywine. A great one for any occasion. I love mixing these in with a caprese dish. They are really big and meaty and they taste great together.
Ramapo
This one was a surprise. We tried Rampo for the first time last year and it was great. It’s an old reintroduction of a Jersey favorite. Medium to large fruit with a great yield, this tomato will please all your uses. In fact I remember tossing a bunch in when making a sauce and they were not to watery. They’ve become a staple in my August salads.
Whopper
This is one big, big, nice tomato. Wait ‘til you see it – size alone is reason enough to grow the ‘Whopper’. You’ll agree, it definitely deserves a spot in your veggie garden.
Mortgage lifter
This is a big pink or maybe more red tomato that has a heavy yield of large low acid and low seed fruit. But the best part is the story of its origin. It was developed by radiator repairman, M.C.“Radiator Charlie” Byles. Without any experience in breeding, Byles made a successful cross of four of the largest tomatoes he could find - German Johnson, Beefsteak, an Italian variety, and an English variety. With the money he made selling the tomatoes he ended up paying off his mortgage, hence the name.
Lemon boy
If you want yellow, here it is. This medium-sized fruit is great tasting, as yellow as a lemon and has a heavy yield to boot. I love how they really brighten up a salad,
Jet star
This probably is a tomato you may have passed by or maybe you’ve grown it before, but a nice medium fruit sized fruit that is low in acid (you don’t have to be yellow to be low acid). This plant is a perfect size for those upside down tomato planters, it won’t take down the house when you water it and it also makes a great vine ripe bunch like in the groceries store.
This is just a short list of our ‘Uncle Mike’ varieties that we grow in our growing range in Woburn. We have selected a range of hybrids, grapes, cherries, heirlooms, dwarf, and lots of others varieties. We also buy a lot from other local quality growers so we have even more of a selection for you, and as we find new ones, well we’ve got to check them out as well right. All our tomatoes are locally grown so there is less of a chance to get late blight which is a disease that has been a problem in the last few years.
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Tomato varieties vary store by store, week by week. (Actually, on a busy day varieties can sometimes change hour to hour). |
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| Beefmaster | Beefsteak | Better Boy | Better Bush |
| Big Beef | Big Boy | Black Krim | Boxcar Willie |
| Brandywine | Bush Cahmpion | Carolina Gold | Celebrity |
| Cherokee Purple | Early Girl | German Johnson | Grape |
| Green Zebra | Health Kick | Hillbilly | Husky Gold |
| Husky Red | Jetstar | Juliet | Lemonboy |
| Marglobe | Moby | Mortgage Lifter | Mr. Stripey |
| Patio | Pink Girl | Ramapo | Roma Plum |
| Rutgers | San Marzano | Sugary | Super Bush |
| Superfantastic | Supersonic | Super Sweet 100 | Sun Gold |
| Sun Sugar | Sweet’n’neat | Sweet Olive | Tiny Tim |
| Totem | Viva Italia | Whitewonder | Whopper |
| Windowbox Roma | Yellow Pear | ||
Mandevilla
Bring a piece of paradise to your patio!
These fast-growing, heat-loving climbers produce abundant tropical flowers all summer. Mandevillas are sun-loving climbers and are excellent in planters or climbing up trellises. A wonderful addition to any deck, patio or outdoor living space. Very easy care and will flower from Spring to Fall. Be sure to wrap the stem around a trellis to maintain shape and promote new growth.